With that being said, let’s move on to what’s ahead. Maybe it is part of my personality, but I’ve always strived to see where I can add value. After all, our time is valuable and we only have so much of it. So how can ASCE SLO add value to our meeting, seminars, and newsletters? I would love to hear any suggestions or recommendations you may have.

To start, I would like to talk about our monthly newsletter in which this article is being published. I’m curious how many people read the newsletter when it’s distributed with the meeting announcement each month? If you don’t read it, is it because you feel your inbox is flooded with e-mails from ASCE, or you don’t have time, or the information it contains is not worth the effort? This month I will be sending out a survey to ask for feedback on this very topic.

To add value in the President’s Perspective section of the newsletter, I plan to focus on a few topics that I believe you will find of interest: Personal Growth, SCE and Mentorship, and Civil Engineering Trends.

Personal Growth might include how to be a good employee, how to identify a bad boss, or how to improve your communication skills. SCE and Mentorship could include ways ASCE can provide mentorship to future civil engineers by reaching out to Cal Poly and K-12 programs. Last, but not least, I want to discuss and give updates to some of the policies and codes that shape our profession: The Body of Knowledge (BOK2), Policy Statement 465, the Vision for Civil Engineering in 2025, and the Professional Engineers Act.

I hope these topics spark interest and good conversation. I look forward to working with you this year and am eager to hear your feedback and suggestions. Thank you.

Brian grew up in San Diego County and moved to San Luis Obispo in 1997 to attend Cal Poly for Civil Engineering. During his time at Cal Poly, Brian was able to spend three months in Argentina, working as a CAD drafter for a design build project. The company he worked for, TechInt, was transforming an existing brick and concrete building in the central business district of Buenos Aires into steel and high rise office buildings. Brian then graduated from Cal Poly in 2002 and has since decided to stay on the Central Coast.

Being an avid water skier, Brian, his wife Vanessa, and their new chocolate lab puppy, Ivy, enjoy spending their free time out on Lake Nacimiento. They recently purchased a new home at Heritage Ranch, which makes it even more convenient for them to enjoy the lake. They hope to see some rain soon, so the lake can get more water.

Brian is a Project Engineer at Cannon in San Luis Obispo, and has worked for Cannon for over 10 years! That’s dedication! He’s worked on such projects as Poly Canyon Village, the new Center for Science and Mathematics, and the Recreation Center Expansion at Cal Poly, just to name a few. Brian is currently working on such projects as; the Erosion Repair and Dredging of BVARA Lake in Bakersfield, Delano Water Wells for the City of Delano, and Vine Street Improvement’s for the City of Paso Robles.

Also, while still working for Cannon, Brian recently enlisted in the Army National Guard and has returned from Basic Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky just last month. During his graduation ceremony, Brian had the honor of carrying his company’s flag while marching in with the First Sergeant. He also looks forward to attending Officer Candidate School sometime in October. Along with preparing to leave for basic training, Brian also recently passed the PE exam. Brian is very excited and enthusiastic about his career, and is looking forward to expanding his knowledge and experience with the Army National Guard.

As a recent Cal Poly Engineering Graduate, I’ve been grateful to have had this time to speak with Brian Woods. He’s extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and provides some good advice for first year Engineers starting out. Thank you Brian for being this month’s Meet the Member.

LOCATION:
Rosa’s Restaurant
491 Price Street
Pismo Beach, CA

DATE & TIME:
Thursday, Oct 15th
12:00 pm (Noon)

MENU:
Meal will include salad, choice of Pasta California or Lasagna, soft drink, coffee, and ice tea.

RESERVATIONS:
Please sign up by 1:00 p.m. Friday, October 9th, at the Branch web site (www.asceslo.org). Please attend the luncheon if you sign-up – some restaurants will charge the Branch for every seat we reserve, regardless of the actual attendance. If you have specific dietary restrictions or have questions, please contact Liz Moody at (805) 544-7407 or by email at LizM@CannonCorp.us. The cost is $20 for members or guests and $10 for student members.